Comments by "Alan Friesen" (@alanfriesen9837) on "What Would Happen if Korea United Into 1 Country?" video.

Korea could unite, but it would be in the face of opposition from both the United States and China, which makes it really difficult. I think if North and South Korea did decide to do it, it would have to be fast, they'd have to insist that American troops leave, and, in order to maintain their independence at the crossroads of superpowers, they'd have to keep and maintain their nuclear arsenal.
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@rejvaik00 Actually, I think they couldn't go after the hard-core communists. Unification would have to mean amnesty, at least in the near term. They're also going to have to find a way to incorporate the Kim family into the power structure somehow. My suggestion would be a Constitutional Monarchy with the government structure of the South left more-or-less intact with some extra seats in the Diet for the northern provinces. They probably should commit to building Kim Jong Un an over-the-top palace to compare with the Emperor's in Japan—essentially buy him off of real power and promise to protect his dynasty.
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@meloniesburgerplace1558 I didn't say it was likely. The hardest part about it would be getting the North Korean regime and the North Korean leader specifically to give up most of their power. They would have to be offered a pretty sweet pot. You'd almost certainly have to have a blanket amnesty, and I don't think there would be any chance reunification if the North Korean leader can't remain as titular Head of State with a great palace in Seoul. You would probably need to keep the personality cult intact to some degree, by which I mean keeping the symbolism of the north like the flag, the official name of the country, the military uniforms, and the holidays celebrating the birthdays of the founder and the current leader and other historical dates. There probably would have to be a law making it illegal to defame the family or the dynasty, and you'd have to guarantee that Kim Il-Sun would be honored and taught in schools as the father of the country, and the current leader at the time of reunification would have to be forever credited as the country's unifier. You could offer personal security (eliminating the fratricide), and a promise to make sure the family stays wealthy and well promoted. And while this all sounds distasteful to those of us who don't have a lot of respect for the North Korean regime, it certainly is a price worth paying for a peaceful reunification under the current conditions of government, economics and society, more-or-less, currently experienced in the ROK.
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@hmm2598 I saw an interview with a Chinese gentleman who's probably in his seventies now. I can't remember if he's an entrepreneur or an engineer, but he's quite successful. When he was in his twenties he was sent to Shaanxi Province to do some sort of impossible job, this during the Cultural Revolution. He was starving but the narrative at the time left him with the assumption that all the other countries in the world were far poorer than China, and that he was lucky to have it so good. My point is that people can get used to a better life. This guy recognized and even illustrated the lie that he had bought into in his youth but he still loves his country and he works every day to make it a better place to be. I think the North Koreans can do the same.
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@anonymity7336 Reunification will cause a lot of short term pain. I understand that reality. But Korea's geography puts it in a position where strength is absolutely necessary for independence and protecting Korean interests. In the long run it is definitely in Korea's best interest to reunify mostly under the South Korean model. If Koreans don't want to be pawns on the chessboard, they'll need to get over those short-term fears. United they'll stand strong, divided they'll always be dependent on the kindness of their superpower neighbors. I for one would not want to be dependent on the good will of some other ambitious state.
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